Yeovil Town owner Scott Priestnell has claimed that an agreement has been reached with an unnamed buyer to purchase his assets in the Glovers.
In a statement released on the club’s website, Priestnell has suggested that talks have taken place for ‘a substantial period of time’ and apologises for the recent lack of communication with the fans. He then indicates that he is aiming to provide further information tomorrow (Friday 12th May), which fans are likely hoping will reveal the identity of the buyer and the process in which the change of ownership can take place.
The full statement is below:
‘’In advance of the Glovers Trust meeting, I wish to announce that a deal has been agreed for the purchase of the club.
This has taken a substantial period of time and a lot of work on all sides.
I am confident that the Buyer has the best interests of the club at heart and will begin a new and exciting time for the club.
I regret I have not been able to provide more regular updates, but these matters must take their course and are governed by various interim agreements.
As always, I wish Yeovil Town Football Club all the best for the times ahead.
I hope to be able to provide further details tomorrow.’’
A meeting of supporters’ group Glovers Trust is scheduled to take place this evening, however there will be no representative of the club itself in attendance due to ‘representatives only being prepared to attend meetings about the club which are held at Huish Park’. In the statement announcing the meeting, the Trust has urged club directors to attend due to what they perceive as a need for clearer communication and an invalid excuse for club representatives to not discuss matters with supporters.
Yeovil were relegated from the National League this season after a 22nd place finish, thus will be playing in the National League South next term. This is the fourth relegation the Glovers have suffered in nine years following their sole season in the Championship in 2013-14 and fans have regularly aired dissatisfaction with how Priestnell has run the club in recent months. An apparent takeover was announced by a consortium called SU Glovers in February this year, however Priestnell remains listed as an active director of the club on Companies House which has led to confusion over who actually runs the club presently.
Writer’s view
It is very understandable that some sections of the Yeovil fanbase will view this statement with scepticism considering the recent SU Glovers saga and the timing of it coinciding with the Glovers’ Trust meeting. However if the club is genuinely on the brink of being sold, hopefully the new custodian will be able to run it in a more professional manner than Priestnell has done and form a better relationship with the fans, as that is going to be crucial in order for the Somerset outfit to reverse their slump in fortunes.
